“My favorite track meet in the U.S. is the Drake Relays. I like running at Drake...the crowds really respect you and you want to do it for the crowd. There’s nothing that can compare to the environment and crowds at Drake Stadium. The people go all out for this meet when it comes to town. The fans are some of the most knowledgeable in track. It is like being at a track meet in Europe.”World record holder and five-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson

“They did a great job. It is a beautiful facility. Hopefully, they can hold a lot more meets than the Drake Relays.”Two-time 2004 Olympic gold medalist Jeremy Wariner“It’s unbelievable. Other than the Olympic Games or the World Championships, I haven’t experienced anything like this with this many athletes. I think this would be a great facility to host the USA Championships. The stands are full, and I’m really excited I was able to come up here and compete.” 2003 World Decathlon champion Tom Pappas“This was probably one of the loudest crowds I have ever run in front of. More then just the atmosphere, not just while I was running, but I feel this event is more than the crowd being into it. The hospitality I have been shown, it’s amazing. The people in this town really get into it. I was amazed. It just shows how this part of the country really enjoys track and field. I hope that some people that are in charge of putting (other) meets on can take notice and see how popular and exciting track and field can be. If we use this meet as an example of how excited people can get, the sky’s the limit. I have been to some pretty big meets with not many people there, so I think the people here at Drake can show people how it's done.”2004 Olympian Alan Webb